<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>what you didn't say by midnightoddity</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24470275">what you didn't say</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightoddity/pseuds/midnightoddity'>midnightoddity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Pining, of course there's pining this is adam we're talking about</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:01:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,589</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24470275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightoddity/pseuds/midnightoddity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The detective falls asleep in the library. Adam carries her back to her room. That's it, that's the plot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Detective/Adam du Mortain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>what you didn't say</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The detective is my MC for the game, Paige Lin. Though Adam still keeps thinking of her as "the detective" because ya know, someone's repressing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam hears her before he sees her.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rather, he hears her heartbeat. A steady, familiar sound that’s much slower than usual.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pauses mid-step and cocks his head to the side, listening quietly. It’s nearly 2am, and the detective ought to be asleep. Adam can tell from her heartbeat that she is sleeping, except the sound doesn’t seem to be coming from her room. Adam thinks he would know. He’s more or less acquainted with her room—the corridor outside, at least. Somehow, his nightly walks often take him past it, his steps slowing so he can listen to the calm, steady beat of her heart.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just a security routine of his, of course. Part of his nightly walks and all that. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Without thinking, he starts working towards the sound, footsteps brisk and purposeful. He has a sneaking suspicion he knows exactly where she is. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam’s suspicion is confirmed when he eventually reaches the library, and he enters, taking care to keep quiet as he does so.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There you are…” he mutters, raising an eyebrow at the prone body of the detective. She’s curled up into a horribly uncomfortable position on the couch, an opened book clasped between her hands. It’s no surprise whatsoever that she fell asleep in the middle of reading a book—it’s happened before, though never so late at night. Adam sighs, exasperated, though he can also feel the beginnings of a smile tug at his lips. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shakes his head. The important thing is making sure she returns to her room and gets a good night’s rest.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Carefully, he eases the book from between her hands before closing it and placing it on the low table. It looks none the worst for wear, something which he is sure Nate will be grateful for. The detective shifts with the motion and Adam freezes, worried that she’ll wake, but she merely exhales and face-plants over onto the couch. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam blinks at her. He is certain that if he hadn’t walked in when he did, she would have suffocated herself in her sleep. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He steps forward and gently nudges her into a sitting position. Somehow, he manages to get her upright enough that he can slide one arm below her knees and another around her back. It takes no effort at all to lift her, and she settles into his arms with a heavy sigh, head lolling against his shoulder. He holds still for a moment, just to make sure she wouldn’t wake, then swings around and starts walking back towards her room.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He meets no one on the way back—which makes sense, given how late it is. Even if Unit Bravo didn’t need much sleep as vampires, they still needed their own space from one another. The team was probably holed up in their own rooms or in one of the common areas, which suits Adam just fine. The last thing he wants is for one of them (Farah) to see him carrying the detective like this. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">(She teased him enough on normal days. Adam doesn’t want to give her more ammunition that she already has.)</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam walks slowly, careful not to jostle the detective. More than once he finds himself glancing down at her sleeping face. There’s a little crease on her forehead, like she’s puzzling over something even in her slumber. Adam wonders what could be on her mind. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Perhaps she’s dreaming about whatever she’d just read before falling asleep. He wouldn’t be surprised, he thinks wryly. The detective is a lot like Nate in that regard. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The door to her room is ajar, and with both hands occupied, he kicks it open. He turns to enter, holding her tightly to him, careful not to bump the detective against the frame. The door creaks back into place as he strides forward and gently lays the detective onto the bed.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She settles down onto the sheets with a soft sigh, and Adam watches as the crease on her forehead smooths out.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Now that he’s got her back into her room, he should go—but for once, Adam lets go of his inhibitions. He stands there for a moment, the muted beat of her heart echoing throughout the tiny, confined space. The familiarity of it is comforting, and the peacefulness of the sleeping detective’s face is soothing an ache inside him he didn’t even know he had. His eyes flick over to the empty space besides her, and for one wistful moment he allows himself the luxury of</span> <span class="s2"> <em> imagining</em> </span> <span class="s1"> himself joining her on the bed, of going to sleep and waking up together—</span></p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam slams the brakes on that train of thought just as quickly as it arrived. With a heavy sigh, he tugs the covers over the detective, then turns and strides out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">(He tries very hard not to think about the warmth of her body against him. </span>
  <span class="s1">He is not very successful.)</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">***</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good morning,” the detective stifles a jaw-breaking yawn as she enters the kitchen the next morning. Adam glances up and nods a greeting in return, his eyes lingering when he realises she’s eschewed her usual work attire for a more casual outfit.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ducks his head down back to his book when he notices the knowing look Farah throws his way. Luckily, Paige doesn’t seem to notice.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good morning, Paige,” Nate greets with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Surprisingly yeah,” Paige sits down in the chair Morgan’s kicked out for her and starts pouring herself a cup of coffee. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Nate raises an eyebrow. “Surprisingly?” He echoes. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I fell asleep reading. I mean, that happens a lot, so I’m pretty used to it. But I fell asleep in the library last night, and I didn’t wake up with a terrible neck ache, so that’s a win.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Out of the corner of his eye, Adam notices Farah’s brow furrow in confusion. “I saw you come out of your room, though.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Paige drains half the cup of coffee before she replies. “Yeah. I don’t know. I woke up in my room, even though I </span> <span class="s2"> <em>definitely</em> </span> <span class="s1"> remember falling asleep in the library.”</span></p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A loud silence follows her words. Adam doesn’t look up, but he can feel the weight of everyone’s gazes as their heads snap towards him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” He barks, a little too quickly. Farah has the knowing grin on her face again, and even Morgan looks amused. Nate, meanwhile, looks like he’s fighting back a smile. And Paige…</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He keeps his gaze forward, afraid that if he looks at her, his mask would crack. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just wondering if you have any idea how our dear detective here magically got back into her room last night,” Farah quips, leaning back in her seat so it’s balanced on two legs. Her amber eyes are lit up with mischievous glee, full lips quirked to the side as she looks at Adam expectantly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam swallows, his chest tightening once more, a sensation that is slowly growing familiar the more time he spends with the detective. He tries to find his words. He isn’t very successful.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was uncomfortable,” he says stiffly, after a moment’s pause. He flicks his gaze over to Paige. “I thought you would sleep better in your room, so I…moved you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Farah inhales so sharply Adam is sure she was going to suck up all the oxygen in the room. But his attention is focused entirely on the detective, and he looks at no one else. A brief flicker of uncertainty seizes him—moving her to the comfort of her bed had seemed a good idea at that time, but had he crossed the line? </span>
</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">For a moment, Paige simply </span> <span class="s2"> <em>stares</em> </span> <span class="s1"> at him with her mouth parted. Surprise graces her features, but it’s fleeting, and it gives way to a gentle, shy, smile as they continue to look at each other. </span></p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you, Adam,” she tells him. “That was…um…I…I appreciate that.” She ducks her head, but Adam can see the red flush creeping up her neck. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something warm stirs in him, pride welling in his chest and causing the corners of his lips to pull up into another pleased smile. Shoulders relaxing, he looks down to make sure no one sees, and when he looks back up his face is its usual mask once more. “You’re welcome,” he tells Paige. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Her eyes flicker back up to his, the warmth in those deep brown sending a shiver down his spine. In the background he can vaguely hear Farah saying something about how their almighty leader had bridal carried the detective to bed—which he </span> <span class="s2"> <em>had</em> </span> <span class="s1"> but he was not about to confirm that—but his attention, as it is most of time now, is only on Paige. </span></p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Morgan, damn her, breaks the moment. “It’s time for your training,” she calls to the detective nonchalantly, flicking away her cigarette and getting to her feet. She raises an eyebrow at Adam and a smirk curls her red lips. “I’ll make sure to return her in perfect condition.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Adam exhales but can’t find it in himself to retaliate, especially not when Morgan was simply following the instructions he had given her. He watches as Paige gets up obligingly and follows Morgan In the doorway, she pauses and looks back at him with a small smile, and Adam’s breath catches in his throat. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The warmth that he has come to associate with her spreads through his chest, lingering even after she finally leaves. </span>
</p>
<p class="p4">
  <span class="s1">It stays with him for the rest of the day. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>